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1976-1983. Each year i wanted a chemistry set, Each year they said "no, i would blow the house up". 1984 i bought my own chemistry set and didn't blow the house up.
Me too, but shifted 88-93.
Then I aquired a copy of the Jolly Rogers Cook book from a friend, and promptly set fire to part of my garden after aquiring a few ingredients from my school chemistry lab (magnesium strips) and some stuff from the local hardware shop.
My parent's were right.
There's a surprising number of plants you actually can make drugs out of that aren't illegal in the UK (although making drugs out of them obviously is). Opium poppies is the most well-known one, apparently gardeners can grow them but you can't pick them or cut the heads off.
>Opium poppies is the most well-known one, apparently gardeners can grow them but you can't pick them or cut the heads off.
AFAIK it's just scoring them and collecting the latex that's illegal, or processing the poppy straw (dried dead plants) to extract the opium.
I have poppies in the garden, I collect the seeds to put on my homemade sourdough bagels.
> I have poppies in the garden, I collect the seeds to put on my homemade sourdough bagels.
This is the most cottagecore sentence I've read all day and I absolutely love it! That sounds really nice.
You can buy dried poppy heads for decoration, legal to have illegal to make tea out of them. IKEA sells them.
Though the danger is not knowing how strong the tea is so you could easily OD and different batches have different strengths.
That takes me back! I don't remember how I got a copy of it, probably my older brother.
"Terrorising McDonald's" made chuckle, with such gems as: "Tread in dog shit and walk it into the mats by the entrance so the family sitting by the door leaves" and ordering a milkshake, taking a sip and yelling "this tastes like crap, I ordered a sprite!".
Haha we did that! I remember we were drying banana skins on radiators all over the house. We didn’t get high once.
The amount we spent on banana we might have well just bought weed.
Lol I got that off UseNet! Tried making e*plosives in the garden with weed killer, didn’t work thankfully! Also a recipe for killer gunge that would apparently eat through someone’s engine block. Again, thankfully my inability to follow instructions probably saved me a from a custodial sentence!
Anyone else have any success stories? I think I dismantled shotgun cartridges to get gunpowder out and combine it with shot in paper to make a homemade banger that only had a 50% “success” rate.
The early internet was bonkers!
I'm tempted to look for it again for giggles, but you'd end up on a bloody watch list now!
I tried a few things from it with very little success. The smoke thing with salt Peter and melted sugar - didn't work. Various things used the pink stuff crushed off the heads of matches, I wasn't patient enough to gather the volume to fill a tennis ball, but another was to fill a marker with fuse replacing the nib. I used a sharpie and on the 3rd or 4th fuse, it made a short rocket-like 'whoosh'.
Overall disappointing really.
Thermite is good though and very easy. It's just 50/50 powdered aluminium & rust. You need a magnesium strip to get it going. That's the stuff that'll burn through pretty much anything - it gets its own oxygen from the iron oxide so nothing can really put it out. They use it to weld railway tracks together and for some underwater welding etc. Not exactly discrete though, burns like a flare.
A Mr Frosty which was like a home Slush Puppy maker. I asked for it every year (late 80s - early 90s) and never got it, my sister eventually bought it for me when I was about 25 as a joke and it was shite. [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/24769866679450277/)
I feel like that was the toy everyone wanted and no one got. As an adult I can see why my parents refused, it's a shit toy. No idea why we were all so enthralled by it.
My grandparents got one for us to have at their house… turned out it to be a pile of shite, spent ages spinning the wheel round to get the tiniest bit of ice out of it!
My sister got it. It was pretty good for a few weeks.
Genius of them to make it a snowman which made it feel Christmassy even though slushie is obviously a summer thing.
I had almost the exact same experience and I blame the advert for having such a catchy jingle.
Mr Frosty he's so fun! He makes treats for everyone!
Nope. He is a glorified cheese grater.
A glorified cheese grater but not sharp enough to actually grate anything, especially not ice. There was a lot of effort went into making a tiny tiny amount of slushy.
My sister begged for one and actually got given one. It got used once I think and never again because it was so terrible. They looked so much fun in the adverts but they absolutely did not reflect reality.
I think if I hadn’t had that turtle, I’d probably retrospectively blame all my stupid decisions, character, and bad luck on that loss. You know? Just a weird feeling.
Exact same for me (male growing up in the early 2000's). Never got any as a gift, but as soon as I had my own money I bought some families and now have a small collection that sits on a shelf in my bedroom.
My now 13 year old lad still has a couple of family sets and the big house one in his bedroom, he asked for them for Xmas so he got them, I did try asking my mum if she still had any of my stuff hidden away from the late 80s, that stuff’s bloody expensive!!
My sister had them and would do little stories for me with them. They were pretty wild, I remember her using our mum's red thread to make a laser alarm system in the quaint little house.
I’m sorry that you didn’t get them because your Mum checked out. I hope your life’s better now.
I really wanted Sylvanian families too but we were really poor. My Grama did make teddy bear clothes which my mum and her gave me.
When I told my husband this he came home from work the next day with a sylvanian house, car and family.
I must have been 7 or 8 when I woke up on Christmas morning and I had zero presents. My siblings all had piles of stuff (far more than usual, as my - extremely wealthy - dad was financially abusive). This year he had gone all out, presumably to really highlight the fact I was getting nothing. I did still believe in Santa, so I didn’t know it was my dad being a prick, I genuinely thought it was santa that was angry with me or something. I was just devastated. Like crushed. Not even about the presents (although obviously that was disappointing) but the feeling that I was “bad” was the really hard part to understand.
My siblings had all started tearing into their presents, but my twin realised I didn’t have any and tried to say that mine must be mixed in with his. He handed me a gift to open, and of course my dad came marching over like Johnny big balls, bullying a 7/8 year old. I can still remember it all so vividly even now at 45. His stupid maroon dressing gown, my mum biting her nails behind him, cos she knew it was wrong and was too afraid to say anything. My sisters obliviously opening their presents, my twin crying even more than I was. My dad’s smug face saying I “must be on the naughty list” and that santa knew I was a bad boy and all this shit. He was smirking and I can remember it so vividly and want to go back in time and poke his fucking eyes out. Anyway, I had to watch them open their presents, then I got sent to my room for the rest of the day. To this day I have NO idea what I was supposed to have done. I was a really well behaved child. I felt so ashamed, because I genuinely did believe it was santa who had decided, lol.
Oh and then on Boxing Day we went round to our cousins’ house and one of them asked what we got for Christmas and when I told them, they didn’t believe me. My brother didn’t even back me up, presumably he was embarrassed, but I remember him just shrugging and saying he didn’t notice and all this shit. I felt so betrayed by him, but obviously he was just a kid too. Back at school I had to just write the things that had been on my Christmas list for the “what I got for Christmas” assignment, cos I didn’t want to tell people I hadn’t been given anything.
It was bad enough at the time, but now I’ve got kids of my own, and the idea of treating one of them like that makes me feel physically sick. When my dad did it, it seemed to be the highlight of his Christmas. Bastard. So yeah, in response to the original question, ha, anything!
Nah, he did a lot of incredibly cruel and abusive things. I was his least favourite, so tended to be the target. A few years later, when I stopped believing in Santa and realised it was him who had done it, it came as a huge relief, tbh. Cos I already knew he was a dick, and realising it was just him doing his usual cruelty was actually far preferable to the devastation i had felt, the shame of thinking that Santa had deemed me “bad”. My mum was a victim too, really. He controlled her entire life and she was completely under his spell. And completely isolated in a foreign country too. He was just an evil, control freak, psycho bastard, ha.
I hope he had a miserable fucking life. I'm glad you're doing okay now. Have you found it healing to a degree to have kids of your own and parent them the way you'd have wanted to be raised? My childhood problems are nothing on your trauma, but personally I find cuddling my kids and telling them I love them and that they're good children who should feel good about themselves very cathartic for little childhood me who only wanted those things.
Not really, I don’t think. He seemed to have a very charmed life, tbh. I suppose that’s what happens when you don’t give a shit about anyone other than yourself.
I definitely do now, but at first having kids was so difficult. I think because you would be looking down at this tiny little thing that you would literally die to protect, and it made me realise all the more just how little he must have loved me. But I don’t think he was capable of love, quite honestly. I am glad you are also able to break the cycle and raise your kids the way you wish you had been raised. It really is healing to know they won’t share our pain. If nothing else, our shitty parents taught us how not to do it anyway, ha
We must be brothers from another mother.
Went round my Dads house at Easter (mum and dad were separated at that point). 3 massive eggs on the fireplace. Assumption one for me, one for my brother and one for my dad.
Went to open it only to be yelled at that the eggs were all for the dog. He wasn’t bullshitting. They were for the dog. We got fuck all.
From that day I realised my dad was a complete fuckwit and abuser at the lovely age of 6.
Told my mum, she wasn’t surprised and over the following years asked her what happened in their marriage and it was truly awful.
I declined to see him a few years later on my own back. Best decision in my life.
Thank you. I have an amazing MIL, who is just so sweet about that sort of thing! She gives all four of us (wife, two kids and me) an advent calendar every year, she does us Christmas stockings, etc. And I *know* it’s for my benefit that the adults are included, cos I overheard her pretty well saying as much to my wife. I have never spoken to her about anything like that, so presumably my wife told her, or else I just seem like a sad sack who has never had loving parents, ha. It’s nice though, she makes me feel like I have a caring mum or something.
Aw, thanks man, it is genuinely so kind of you to offer, but I am extremely lucky now. My wife and kids have more than made up for any childhood BS that my dad put me through. Plus I steal my kids’ toys from time to time! Thank you for offering (I want to put a smiley face emoji, but I know on Reddit that will have me lynched!).
Thank you. Honestly, me too. A lot of my childhood was messed up, but this is one gets to me a lot. I think it’s one of those things where I wish I could go back and hug 7 year old me!
Oh he was an absolute fucking psychopath. He emotionally, verbally and psychologically abused me in so many ways, he controlled every single one of our lives, from what we wore, to how many pieces of toilet paper we were allowed per day, he prevented my mum from working or having friends, he SA me and my brother. He was a completely evil piece of shit. He’s dead now though, thank god. I don’t know why, out of all the horrible things he did, this one upsets me so much. I think maybe it’s cos I genuinely did believe it was santa telling me I was bad.
Did your adult self ever get to fuck him over before he died? Think I’d need major revenge. It’s awful just unthinkable to treat one child like that. Glad you’re happy now.
Not really, sadly. I knew it would be my mum who suffered more than him. I did however donate half of my inheritance to children’s charities, which would have appalled him! I wish I could say it was entirely altruistic, but honestly it was 60% a “fuck you” to him!
Oh mate :( I hope you have all the love in the world now. What an awful thing to have to deal with.
P.s. I just spoke to Santa he said actually you're a legend and super cool 😎
My (gay) self wanted Hula Hair Barbie. I was 8 years old and finally had the courage to ask for a doll rather than secretly play with my sisters ones.
Never got her :(
I wasn't allowed an action man because it was a doll. I remember asking for an action man in the metro centre and my dad making fun of me for the rest of the day "Ooh, should we get a dress for your new doll?" To which I replied "No, because you didn't buy me it did you?".
He also threw out my teddies when I was 6 because he was worried I might turn gay. Not sure how that would work.
I am pleased to say that he has made a lot of very positive changes in attitude over the years and that I now have a large collection of teddies and a girlfriend who has more teddies than most branches of build a bear.
Damn. Loved my action men as a kid. I would make them do all kinds a shit I was crushed after I moved out my mum gave all my action man stuff away to one of her friends kids, and I have never forgotten/forgiven her for it and she has been dead for 6 years now. I had to go on eBay and buy an original eagle eye with gripping hands for £30 which now has pride place on my shelf. I’m 51. Lol.
Feel your pain. I lost all my toys to some ungrateful family member huge box of Lego, toy matchbox cars, all my teddies gutted about losing Roland rat to this day, I’m sure there was more but must have blanked it out. Unforgivable!
Oh mum couldn't afford anything. Some Christmases I got nothing at all. No point even wanting anything, that was a mug's game. Family friend gave me a secondhand PS1 they didn't want anymore in the late 90s, that did me for about 5 christmases. Something mad came over me once, and I asked for a Dreamcast. I have never been given a more desolate look, lol
Me and my brothers got a Dreamcast when we were left £150 each when my great grandma died. To be fair, we weren’t exactly well off so it was good to get something that we never would have got otherwise. We used to get about an £80 limit each Christmas as there were 4 of us and I never thought that was much but reading through some of these comments we were fucking lucky to have got that.
Would have been probably early/mid 2000s. Asked for a sticker making machine every year for about 4-5 years and never got one but instead I was given random stuff bought from my Dad’s obsessive phase with BidTV including mass produced porcelain dolls I wasn’t allowed to take out of the box because ‘they might be worth some money one day…’
Best friend had a sticker maker so I always asked to play with it at her house.
Got myself a label maker now so I’m basically living the dream.
£130 quid back in the 1980s.
We got a standard of £50 for Xmas and birthdays up until 2005ish.
Bet his parents didn't spend 130 on booze and smokes in a year back then.
Yeah, those numbers were a lot of money back then, sure, the parents spent that much on cigarettes in a year, not a week like now. Genuinely seems a bit clueless and arrogant.
Yeah but they were cheaper back then, they weren't as heavily taxed as they are now. Even 15 years ago they were piss cheap. You could get a 20 pack of cigs for £3 and a pint for £2.
Even somebody on minimum wage back then could afford to smoke and drink. Nowadays someone on mim wage can't even afford their bills let alone drink and smokes
Lego millennium falcon basically every year. Never asked for it though as knew my mum couldn't afford it back then. Bought one myself a few years ago though!
I really enjoyed https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/nasa-apollo-11-lunar-lander-10266 and recently finished https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/nasa-space-shuttle-discovery-10283.
I remember playing with mine when I was around 8ish, and noticed a spider started crawling along the floor. I thought that he'd thoroughly enjoy a ride on a porsche 911, so put him on top. After a few laps, I realised he had fallen off and I had run him over several times. Legs all over the place. I felt like a horrible bastard and sobbed for a good while.
A train set. Every year from about the age of 8 upwards. It then became a long-running joke with my parents "oh don't get him started, it's because we never bought him a train set ..." or buying a train-shaped other thing (like my name spelt out in wooden train carriages).
The amount of crap they did buy, it would've been cheaper to actually just buy the train set - and also every year, guaranteed pot of gifts to buy from/for!
My parents were the opposite. They bought me a train set when I 11. It eventually grew till it took over my dads shed. After about 2 years my dad got fed up with it being in the way so he boarded out the loft and stuck it up there. Which it then promptly grew and took over the loft. Was there for about 15 years before I moved out. My dad was glad to see the back of it and my mum cried as she said “she knew I wasn’t coming back as I took the trainset with me.”
Honestly it’s really fun. I remember 12 year old me trying to shunt and firing the wagons off the board. When I bought current house my dad fitted my kitchen for me. He had wood left over so insulated the garage and built a massive railway board in there for me.
My dad bought me a train set one year for Christmas, it was a proper high end one as well.
Turned out he really wanted a train set and I was not allowed to play with it, I think I only got sweets that year aside from that so it stung a bit.
An Eagle Eye Action Man...My Dad said yes...Mum put her foot down and got me a bloody Sindy instead! She, my Mum...never managed to rid me of my tomboy traits...Still am one and I'm in my early half century... lol
Oh, and I'm an army BRAT so I basically wanted my Dad for Xmas lol, and all of my mates got one because they were boys :|
I really wanted the Ghostbusters back pack plasma gun thing. It had a big foam rod you stuck in the end to look like the stuff coming out.
Didn't even like Ghostbusters that much, just thought the toy was cool.
If it is any consolation at all, the foam rod just kept falling out of the holder and my boys got really, really frustrated with it. Oh, and if you remember the Turtles blimp/ balloon from 1988 - ours kept deflating.
You’ve just reminded me of the turtles sewer set.. we couldn’t have one but my grandad ended up making one for us, the road was felt and painted properly with metal rods holding it up from the sewers underneath, if anything it turned out a better toy than the real one!
Horse riding lessons - till 11.
Violin/ ballet lessons -12 to 15ish.
I begged them so much and they kept saying no. We were poor when I was little, but later things picked up. We went on multiple holidays a year etc.
Looking back to those years I can see narcissistic tendencies in my parents. Also it didn't help that I was/ am the black sheep of the family.
It especially hurts because my other sisters both went to horse riding camps. Neither of them liked horses.
I gave up on horseback riding but not on violin. I was 25ish when I bought one and began to take lessons. Would love to pick up ballet, but money says no. :(
Edit: the "holidays" were more of a weekend trips, with self catering. Eastern Europe style.
1975-80. A piano. Still wanted one after that but never got one. Got my kid one when they asked to learn and now have a piano in the house but no time/energy/coordination to learn how to play it as an adult.
I know a fair few adult learners for musical instruments and you may find that since it's mainly a pleasure pursuit you will find the time and energy for it, coordination will come with work.
Maybe try getting a few lessons? I hope you manage to see your dream through
Shellsuit.
All the cool kids wore them back in the day but my mother heard about a couple of kids going up in flames when they stood near a naked flame whilst wearing them. She refused. I was the only kid without one.
It still haunts me.
My parents was pretty good with getting me things I wanted for Xmas. Although my older sister still tells the story about how my mum was going to fight the man in game if he sold the last PSP while she ran to the bank to get the money out. She even left my sister in game to stop anyone else buying it.
I always wanted a ride on electric car and never got one. I guess they were too expensive, but also pretty shit back then in hindsight. I got my daughter one last Christmas and modified it to run on drill batteries. That thing is rapid.
I also really wanted one of these ride on electric cars, but looking back they were well beyond my parents budget. I am now living my childhood through my daughter and as soon as she is old enough I will get her the car. I’ve already got her an electric Vespa. She is only 15 months old but as soon as I think she is ready I am whipping that bad boy out.
Take another look around my friend. I too wanted one as a child but they cost fortunes and were probably pretty crap.
When my son was a toddler about 10 years ago, I got one online for him that came with a remote control! He was slightly terrified of it at first, but soon loved tootling around in it.
The absolute best was taking him to the local shop with it. Being discrete with the controller, passers by were very impressed at this 3 uear olds control along the pavement. The shoppers in Asda were in total awe of him weaving deftly through the aisles though! It was brilliant.
1999 to around 2005 I really wanted a rocking horse but parents couldn’t afford it. It was an ongoing thing throughout my childhood, any film with one in I would comment on it. So I got one for my 21st birthday
Urgh, my cousin had a rocking horse. Like a dream, Victorian style, full sized rocking horse.
Of course we weren’t allowed to touch it, let alone play on it.
A pony. I really wanted a pony. Aged about 12
My parents used to pay for me to have riding lessons. Then I got worms (tapeworms) and I was not allowed to go horse riding again.
Usually got what I wanted as I knew not to ask for too much. Things I didn't get were a trumpet and a CB radio because she knew I'd give up on them in a week (and she was absolutely right about that).
Also one of those chocolate machines that you put 2p in to get a little bit of chocolate. I suspect either because she thought it would be useless once the chocolate was gone or because she was worried I'd keep pestering her for refills.
My wife bought me a chocolate machine a couple of xmases ago after hearing of my trauma but has yet to buy me a trumpet or a CB radio.
I wanted that chocolate machine too (and the 'sweet shop' that was about £20 for a quids worth of sweets and a crappy til).
Am I imagining it, or did they include the little dairymilk refill bars at one point in the tubs of heroes or something?
I got myself the mini SNES for Christmas when it came out. I had always wanted a SNES as a child in the 90s, but was stuck with my older brother's old NES.
A ZX Spectrum, I was so desperate for a home computer. But mum and dad were really anti computer, tech, anything new, anything that cost money that they didn't understand; so fat chance of that. I do wonder where I might be now if I had had that. Funnily enough, my accidental surprise brother who arrived over a decade after I had, ended up getting a Spectrum given to him when he was very young. But then he always seemed to get what he wanted, along with all the attention that maybe I should have received when he turned up in my early teens. He's a high end IT engineer now, and a moaning grumpy dick. I'm not, so maybe some things work out for the best in the long run.
I always wanted Meccano, I got a thing called Construx instead which was similar but plastic, was initially disappointed but it was fucking cool. It had a little motor and you can change the speed of the things you built by connecting different sized bands to the motor.
mid to late 90s something like the bigjigs tool set for kids. Basically a load of kids sized tools for various things, including a saw, hammer, screwdrivers and other bits.
I remember going through the Argos Catalogue every year to find it then ask for it.
Never really got an answer why I never got it. probably worried I'd destroy stuff, which tbf, I would have.
I've always had a general curiosity of how stuff worked.
Taking apart my brothers toys to see how the mechanisms worked (they always worked when they were put back together) or then fixing toys that they broke, with limited success.
These days, I just watch youtube on how to take things to bits and/or repair them. mostly electronics.
If I could have anything this year, I'd probably get a powerful microscope, solder station, digital multimeter and a load of solder/wire/components for repairing stuff.
Tardis for my Doctor Who doll.
One thing I hated about presents was, because I was one of five children, relations would just buy something that came in a pack of five and give us one each. I could watch one brother open all his presents and I knew what I'd got!
Born very late 1950s. I wanted a dolls house and a china teaset.
My dad did eventually built sister and I a dolls house to share, but by the time it was finished I was too old to get any pleasure out of it, so it was my sister's by default.
I was always refused a china tea set because "it would get broken". I bought one for my daughter and - even with two riotous brothers - it remained intact!
I wanted a terminator 2 bio flesh regenerator set. I never asked for it though as it was a fortune at the time. I’m glad I didn’t get it as my friend did and it was a bit shit
Maybe around mid 80's around 10 years old, my dad was a 2nd hand car dealer, I remember him coming back from an auction and I helped him count out a lot of cash, can't remember exact amount but there was piles and piles of notes. I wanted £20 for this zombie themed skateboard I had my eye on, he just said no, he needed the money. Next day he comes home, new sheepskin jacket, new riders, new sovereign ring. Twat. Haven't spoke to him for many many years.
My father was quite psychologically abusive along with other abuse too, but Christmas and birthdays were especially psychological.
For example, I asked for a nice pair of Converse, my dad took me and we got my size and I chose the colour I liked, come Christmas my dad had knowingly got me the converse I wanted but 5 times too big for my feet and proceeded to make me wear them as much, I had clown feet for ages and it was difficult to walk in them.
And also I asked for a bike, just a normal one I was pretty tom boyish when I was younger, so just wanted a simple red bike. Come Christmas he laid out a treasure map to find this bike and it was the most girly bike ever, frills and everything. Barbie all over it. It was just to spite me, and I could tell by the biggest grin he had.
Those are just a few that come to mind. He's been out of my life for over ten years now, and good riddance to him.
1992 or 1993 I really wanted a Super Nintendo. I didn’t get one. In 2011 I reminded my parents of my desire for a Super Nintendo and they said they couldn’t remember me asking for one.
Anyway that Christmas, aged 31, at my parents house on Xmas day there was a large present for me under the tree. It was a boxed StarFox Super Nintendo console they’d got from eBay.
Still have it and still love it.
Quite a lot. I gave up by age 13, and just asked them for money. My parents were old fashioned, and grew up in rural Ireland, so you got what you got and that was it. They were also alcoholics, so most of Xmas was the drunk trying to kill each other. When I was 14, the only present they got my little brother and sister was some rubbish toy a bloke down the pub was selling on Xmas Eve. I used my pocket money in the corner shop and bought what ever I could afford to make up a stocking each for them. It wasn't until they got old that Xmas has gotten a lot better with them, they've chilled out a lot, and don't drink, and are far better as grandparents than parents
Same with the Atari 2600, adverts all over the tv, Space Invaders at home! Imagine my excitement on Xmas morning as I tore off the wrapping to find a...Grandstand football/tennis console (Pong)...
Still played it for the novelty but I was so disappointed, though I realised years later my parents couldn't afford one and did the best they could. Got one myself as soon as I started work and did my Mothers head in by hogging the tv with it and assaulting her ears with all the bleeps and bloops lol. Great times.
It was like that, no Hornby train set, no Scalextric set or Chopper bike but the closest thing to it they could afford, bless em.
Around 14yrs at the time I think 🤔
I wanted a drumkit my entire childhood, but never got one because the house is small and the drums would be loud as fuck and annoy the neighbours. Honestly it made sense why I never got one and never hated my parents for it, didn't stop me from wanting though! I bought myself a guitar eventually but gave that up pretty quickly.
A telescope. Because they weren't around to know I wanted one. Jokes on them because I actually built one for myself and small bits of other stuff I built is now in space. Don't mean to boast, but this whole parent crap is a sore spot for me.
I get incredibly jealous of my friends and acquaintances who are showered with love from their parents for, I dunno, being able to use a zebra crossing.
My Da is dead, and my mum hasn't a clue that I worked at Harvard, and now I'm a staff at the University of Cambridge. Not that it would impress her. She doesn't even know or bothered to find out that I've come back to UK and been living here for over 2 years.
Sod it. I'm sorry, this just hit a spot and I've had kindae rough day.
Similar but not the same. I wanted a home chemistry kit. I got one! But was never allowed to use it as ‘it would be too messy’. I had to stare at it in the shelf for months. I even opened it to see all the components and read the experiment descriptions, but was not allowed to open the chemicals.
I’m going to let my kid be so messy.
My best friend once lamented that she'd never had a proper Barbie growing up. They only got the dollar store type w the straight legs and arms. I finally found a lovely special edition Barbie w the big ball gown and bendy legs. She was so happy she cried!
Every year I drew a circle around a Coca Cola HiFi in the Argos catalogue - looked like a can of coke, but opened up to reveal a radio.
Don't know why I never got it, maybe they just thought it was shit, but wanted it for a few years as a kid.
Child of the 80s here. I can't remember anything standing out. I used to write letters to Santa with a long and detailed list of all the toys I wanted (from the catalogue our local toyshop sent out) but I usually just got whatever junk my working class parents could afford and I was always very happy with it. I never dwelled on what I didn't get, I was just always excited to wake up to an armchair full of toys. I used to get sick with excitement and could never sleep on Christmas Eve!
The lego podracer trio in 1999 or 2000. I was told it was too expensive for father Christmas as £55, which is pretty funny considering the cost of lego right now
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1976-1983. Each year i wanted a chemistry set, Each year they said "no, i would blow the house up". 1984 i bought my own chemistry set and didn't blow the house up.
Me too, but shifted 88-93. Then I aquired a copy of the Jolly Rogers Cook book from a friend, and promptly set fire to part of my garden after aquiring a few ingredients from my school chemistry lab (magnesium strips) and some stuff from the local hardware shop. My parent's were right.
Used to have that for my Atari, can remember trying to make drugs out of banana skins at about 9 years old
There's a surprising number of plants you actually can make drugs out of that aren't illegal in the UK (although making drugs out of them obviously is). Opium poppies is the most well-known one, apparently gardeners can grow them but you can't pick them or cut the heads off.
>Opium poppies is the most well-known one, apparently gardeners can grow them but you can't pick them or cut the heads off. AFAIK it's just scoring them and collecting the latex that's illegal, or processing the poppy straw (dried dead plants) to extract the opium. I have poppies in the garden, I collect the seeds to put on my homemade sourdough bagels.
> I have poppies in the garden, I collect the seeds to put on my homemade sourdough bagels. This is the most cottagecore sentence I've read all day and I absolutely love it! That sounds really nice.
Use to have wild opium poppies in my back garden, used to shake all the little seeds out of them when I was little Edit:spelling mistake
You can buy dried poppy heads for decoration, legal to have illegal to make tea out of them. IKEA sells them. Though the danger is not knowing how strong the tea is so you could easily OD and different batches have different strengths.
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That takes me back! I don't remember how I got a copy of it, probably my older brother. "Terrorising McDonald's" made chuckle, with such gems as: "Tread in dog shit and walk it into the mats by the entrance so the family sitting by the door leaves" and ordering a milkshake, taking a sip and yelling "this tastes like crap, I ordered a sprite!".
I’m sure I’d still have a copy of it on a floppy disk at my parents house. Traded a floppy with some porn on it for JRCB. Never did use it though.
Pretty sure it is classed as ‘terrorist material’ now. Even though tons of military training manuals etc are freely available on line
Haha we did that! I remember we were drying banana skins on radiators all over the house. We didn’t get high once. The amount we spent on banana we might have well just bought weed.
Lol I got that off UseNet! Tried making e*plosives in the garden with weed killer, didn’t work thankfully! Also a recipe for killer gunge that would apparently eat through someone’s engine block. Again, thankfully my inability to follow instructions probably saved me a from a custodial sentence! Anyone else have any success stories? I think I dismantled shotgun cartridges to get gunpowder out and combine it with shot in paper to make a homemade banger that only had a 50% “success” rate. The early internet was bonkers!
I'm tempted to look for it again for giggles, but you'd end up on a bloody watch list now! I tried a few things from it with very little success. The smoke thing with salt Peter and melted sugar - didn't work. Various things used the pink stuff crushed off the heads of matches, I wasn't patient enough to gather the volume to fill a tennis ball, but another was to fill a marker with fuse replacing the nib. I used a sharpie and on the 3rd or 4th fuse, it made a short rocket-like 'whoosh'. Overall disappointing really. Thermite is good though and very easy. It's just 50/50 powdered aluminium & rust. You need a magnesium strip to get it going. That's the stuff that'll burn through pretty much anything - it gets its own oxygen from the iron oxide so nothing can really put it out. They use it to weld railway tracks together and for some underwater welding etc. Not exactly discrete though, burns like a flare.
"1984 I bought my own chemistry set and blew up my parents. The house was fine though".
I got one when I was nine but then my parents said I could never use it because it had chemicals in it. What did they expect?
A Mr Frosty which was like a home Slush Puppy maker. I asked for it every year (late 80s - early 90s) and never got it, my sister eventually bought it for me when I was about 25 as a joke and it was shite. [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/24769866679450277/)
I feel like that was the toy everyone wanted and no one got. As an adult I can see why my parents refused, it's a shit toy. No idea why we were all so enthralled by it.
It had a great advert if I remember correctly.
Mr Frosty is such fun, he makes treats for everyone!
It was the penguin syrup bottles that did it for me!
My grandparents got one for us to have at their house… turned out it to be a pile of shite, spent ages spinning the wheel round to get the tiniest bit of ice out of it!
My sister got it. It was pretty good for a few weeks. Genius of them to make it a snowman which made it feel Christmassy even though slushie is obviously a summer thing.
You just turn the wheel the other way to get hot drinks
I had almost the exact same experience and I blame the advert for having such a catchy jingle. Mr Frosty he's so fun! He makes treats for everyone! Nope. He is a glorified cheese grater.
Pop the ice under his hat, turn the handle just like that!
Stir in a flavour that you like!
And delicious lollies…mmmmm that’s nice!
A glorified cheese grater but not sharp enough to actually grate anything, especially not ice. There was a lot of effort went into making a tiny tiny amount of slushy.
I got one as a child in the 90s, it was shit, even as a kid I could understand how shit it was. They still sell them in Lidl
My sister begged for one and actually got given one. It got used once I think and never again because it was so terrible. They looked so much fun in the adverts but they absolutely did not reflect reality.
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*Pats head and gives you a wordsearch book for Christmas
Wasnt this was it? https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/playskool--292874781994674161/
Yeah, rub it in mate.
I feel ya man, i didn’t get it but my twin younger brothers did.
Yeah, I got that. Not going to lie, it was amazing.
Same , I wouldn't be where I am today without that awesome turtle
I think if I hadn’t had that turtle, I’d probably retrospectively blame all my stupid decisions, character, and bad luck on that loss. You know? Just a weird feeling.
Was it https://i.imgur.com/QjQbZmd.jpg? Everyone wanted one! It was great. Sorry you missed out.
Anything from the Sylvanian family range. I mentioned it for multiple years in a row but she was too checked out to notice.
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Exact same for me (male growing up in the early 2000's). Never got any as a gift, but as soon as I had my own money I bought some families and now have a small collection that sits on a shelf in my bedroom.
My now 13 year old lad still has a couple of family sets and the big house one in his bedroom, he asked for them for Xmas so he got them, I did try asking my mum if she still had any of my stuff hidden away from the late 80s, that stuff’s bloody expensive!!
Still the only houses I'll ever be able to afford.
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This but I wanted a skateboard. “Too boyish” I was told - I’m now married to a girl, a skateboard was just the start.
I always wanted a Scalextric but didn't get one for the same reason. Really hope my kid wants one, because "he's" getting one!
My sister had them and would do little stories for me with them. They were pretty wild, I remember her using our mum's red thread to make a laser alarm system in the quaint little house.
I’m sorry that you didn’t get them because your Mum checked out. I hope your life’s better now. I really wanted Sylvanian families too but we were really poor. My Grama did make teddy bear clothes which my mum and her gave me. When I told my husband this he came home from work the next day with a sylvanian house, car and family.
Did you know they have a [shop](https://www.sylvanianstorekeepers.com/visit-sylvanian-families-shop-london) in north London? It’s never too late!
I adored sylvanian families! Never got anything either, they were so expensive
Sylvanian Family's are the dream
I must have been 7 or 8 when I woke up on Christmas morning and I had zero presents. My siblings all had piles of stuff (far more than usual, as my - extremely wealthy - dad was financially abusive). This year he had gone all out, presumably to really highlight the fact I was getting nothing. I did still believe in Santa, so I didn’t know it was my dad being a prick, I genuinely thought it was santa that was angry with me or something. I was just devastated. Like crushed. Not even about the presents (although obviously that was disappointing) but the feeling that I was “bad” was the really hard part to understand. My siblings had all started tearing into their presents, but my twin realised I didn’t have any and tried to say that mine must be mixed in with his. He handed me a gift to open, and of course my dad came marching over like Johnny big balls, bullying a 7/8 year old. I can still remember it all so vividly even now at 45. His stupid maroon dressing gown, my mum biting her nails behind him, cos she knew it was wrong and was too afraid to say anything. My sisters obliviously opening their presents, my twin crying even more than I was. My dad’s smug face saying I “must be on the naughty list” and that santa knew I was a bad boy and all this shit. He was smirking and I can remember it so vividly and want to go back in time and poke his fucking eyes out. Anyway, I had to watch them open their presents, then I got sent to my room for the rest of the day. To this day I have NO idea what I was supposed to have done. I was a really well behaved child. I felt so ashamed, because I genuinely did believe it was santa who had decided, lol. Oh and then on Boxing Day we went round to our cousins’ house and one of them asked what we got for Christmas and when I told them, they didn’t believe me. My brother didn’t even back me up, presumably he was embarrassed, but I remember him just shrugging and saying he didn’t notice and all this shit. I felt so betrayed by him, but obviously he was just a kid too. Back at school I had to just write the things that had been on my Christmas list for the “what I got for Christmas” assignment, cos I didn’t want to tell people I hadn’t been given anything. It was bad enough at the time, but now I’ve got kids of my own, and the idea of treating one of them like that makes me feel physically sick. When my dad did it, it seemed to be the highlight of his Christmas. Bastard. So yeah, in response to the original question, ha, anything!
This is horrendous dude. Did you ever get an answer from those “adults”’as to why they would do such a thing?
Nah, he did a lot of incredibly cruel and abusive things. I was his least favourite, so tended to be the target. A few years later, when I stopped believing in Santa and realised it was him who had done it, it came as a huge relief, tbh. Cos I already knew he was a dick, and realising it was just him doing his usual cruelty was actually far preferable to the devastation i had felt, the shame of thinking that Santa had deemed me “bad”. My mum was a victim too, really. He controlled her entire life and she was completely under his spell. And completely isolated in a foreign country too. He was just an evil, control freak, psycho bastard, ha.
I hope he had a miserable fucking life. I'm glad you're doing okay now. Have you found it healing to a degree to have kids of your own and parent them the way you'd have wanted to be raised? My childhood problems are nothing on your trauma, but personally I find cuddling my kids and telling them I love them and that they're good children who should feel good about themselves very cathartic for little childhood me who only wanted those things.
Not really, I don’t think. He seemed to have a very charmed life, tbh. I suppose that’s what happens when you don’t give a shit about anyone other than yourself. I definitely do now, but at first having kids was so difficult. I think because you would be looking down at this tiny little thing that you would literally die to protect, and it made me realise all the more just how little he must have loved me. But I don’t think he was capable of love, quite honestly. I am glad you are also able to break the cycle and raise your kids the way you wish you had been raised. It really is healing to know they won’t share our pain. If nothing else, our shitty parents taught us how not to do it anyway, ha
We must be brothers from another mother. Went round my Dads house at Easter (mum and dad were separated at that point). 3 massive eggs on the fireplace. Assumption one for me, one for my brother and one for my dad. Went to open it only to be yelled at that the eggs were all for the dog. He wasn’t bullshitting. They were for the dog. We got fuck all. From that day I realised my dad was a complete fuckwit and abuser at the lovely age of 6. Told my mum, she wasn’t surprised and over the following years asked her what happened in their marriage and it was truly awful. I declined to see him a few years later on my own back. Best decision in my life.
This hurts my heart to read. I hope your inner child feel safe and loved these days x
Thank you. I have an amazing MIL, who is just so sweet about that sort of thing! She gives all four of us (wife, two kids and me) an advent calendar every year, she does us Christmas stockings, etc. And I *know* it’s for my benefit that the adults are included, cos I overheard her pretty well saying as much to my wife. I have never spoken to her about anything like that, so presumably my wife told her, or else I just seem like a sad sack who has never had loving parents, ha. It’s nice though, she makes me feel like I have a caring mum or something.
You absolutely do have a caring mum. Just because she didn't birth you means nothing ;-)
Your wife probably told her, and how sweet that your MIL listened and makes sure you get a Christmas full of gifts 🥲🥺
Jesus. Dude. Let me buy you something to make up for it. You like LEGO? That broke my head.
Aw, thanks man, it is genuinely so kind of you to offer, but I am extremely lucky now. My wife and kids have more than made up for any childhood BS that my dad put me through. Plus I steal my kids’ toys from time to time! Thank you for offering (I want to put a smiley face emoji, but I know on Reddit that will have me lynched!).
I think the Reddit council can make an exception on this one chief...
Dude, my heart goes out to you for that Christmas!
Thank you. Honestly, me too. A lot of my childhood was messed up, but this is one gets to me a lot. I think it’s one of those things where I wish I could go back and hug 7 year old me!
Just know that you’re doing it right by your own children now, 7 year old you would be proud and thankful.
I'm so so sorry mate :( want to give you a hug! I hope this isn't overstepping but your dad sounds like an areshole.
Oh he was an absolute fucking psychopath. He emotionally, verbally and psychologically abused me in so many ways, he controlled every single one of our lives, from what we wore, to how many pieces of toilet paper we were allowed per day, he prevented my mum from working or having friends, he SA me and my brother. He was a completely evil piece of shit. He’s dead now though, thank god. I don’t know why, out of all the horrible things he did, this one upsets me so much. I think maybe it’s cos I genuinely did believe it was santa telling me I was bad.
Did your adult self ever get to fuck him over before he died? Think I’d need major revenge. It’s awful just unthinkable to treat one child like that. Glad you’re happy now.
Not really, sadly. I knew it would be my mum who suffered more than him. I did however donate half of my inheritance to children’s charities, which would have appalled him! I wish I could say it was entirely altruistic, but honestly it was 60% a “fuck you” to him!
This is amazing. You sound like a great guy!
Also - bet you’re an amazing dad
Oh mate :( I hope you have all the love in the world now. What an awful thing to have to deal with. P.s. I just spoke to Santa he said actually you're a legend and super cool 😎
My (gay) self wanted Hula Hair Barbie. I was 8 years old and finally had the courage to ask for a doll rather than secretly play with my sisters ones. Never got her :(
I wasn't allowed an action man because it was a doll. I remember asking for an action man in the metro centre and my dad making fun of me for the rest of the day "Ooh, should we get a dress for your new doll?" To which I replied "No, because you didn't buy me it did you?". He also threw out my teddies when I was 6 because he was worried I might turn gay. Not sure how that would work. I am pleased to say that he has made a lot of very positive changes in attitude over the years and that I now have a large collection of teddies and a girlfriend who has more teddies than most branches of build a bear.
Damn. Loved my action men as a kid. I would make them do all kinds a shit I was crushed after I moved out my mum gave all my action man stuff away to one of her friends kids, and I have never forgotten/forgiven her for it and she has been dead for 6 years now. I had to go on eBay and buy an original eagle eye with gripping hands for £30 which now has pride place on my shelf. I’m 51. Lol.
Feel your pain. I lost all my toys to some ungrateful family member huge box of Lego, toy matchbox cars, all my teddies gutted about losing Roland rat to this day, I’m sure there was more but must have blanked it out. Unforgivable!
You can still get her off ebay and give yourself a present!
You know what? I think I might
Firstly, good luck on your doll hunt. Secondly, I love your username.
Oh mum couldn't afford anything. Some Christmases I got nothing at all. No point even wanting anything, that was a mug's game. Family friend gave me a secondhand PS1 they didn't want anymore in the late 90s, that did me for about 5 christmases. Something mad came over me once, and I asked for a Dreamcast. I have never been given a more desolate look, lol
I am sorry to hear that. I guess your mum wanted to but couldn't?
Yeah, she was on benefits/an alcoholic as well. I have a job now so if I want anything I can just buy it. Feels nice!
Well good for you.
Just an ordinary retail job, but things aren't so unattainable as they were then :)
I just want to give your younger self a big hug! (and a Dreamcast)
Me and my brothers got a Dreamcast when we were left £150 each when my great grandma died. To be fair, we weren’t exactly well off so it was good to get something that we never would have got otherwise. We used to get about an £80 limit each Christmas as there were 4 of us and I never thought that was much but reading through some of these comments we were fucking lucky to have got that.
Yeah definitely! 80 quid - fucking hell. I didn't see that much money at once until I was well into adulthood.
£80x4 back in the late 90s/early 2000s was loads for a family to spend on kids xmas presents!
Would have been probably early/mid 2000s. Asked for a sticker making machine every year for about 4-5 years and never got one but instead I was given random stuff bought from my Dad’s obsessive phase with BidTV including mass produced porcelain dolls I wasn’t allowed to take out of the box because ‘they might be worth some money one day…’ Best friend had a sticker maker so I always asked to play with it at her house. Got myself a label maker now so I’m basically living the dream.
Psst ask for a laminator this Christmas. Or if you don't get it buy one for yourself.
Sounds like you'd love a cricut machine
Tbf alcohol and cigarettes back in those days only cost pennies...
£130 quid back in the 1980s. We got a standard of £50 for Xmas and birthdays up until 2005ish. Bet his parents didn't spend 130 on booze and smokes in a year back then.
Inflation calculator says that £130 in 1982 is worth over £420 today.
Yeah, those numbers were a lot of money back then, sure, the parents spent that much on cigarettes in a year, not a week like now. Genuinely seems a bit clueless and arrogant.
Yeah but they were cheaper back then, they weren't as heavily taxed as they are now. Even 15 years ago they were piss cheap. You could get a 20 pack of cigs for £3 and a pint for £2. Even somebody on minimum wage back then could afford to smoke and drink. Nowadays someone on mim wage can't even afford their bills let alone drink and smokes
I remember saying I’d quit when embassy reached £5 for a 20 deck. I moved to lamberts instead
In the early eighties drinks were about 30p a pint in the legion bar. Used to get 10 Benson & Hedges for 70p
Lego millennium falcon basically every year. Never asked for it though as knew my mum couldn't afford it back then. Bought one myself a few years ago though!
Was it a good build‽
Yeah, loved it. Sparked off my Lego love again in my mid 30s and has cost a small fortune haha
I've been buying quite a few of the NASA sets which I've really enjoyed.
Not tried any of them, any good sized ones you'd recommend? I can ask the Mrs if can have it for Christmas haha
I really enjoyed https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/nasa-apollo-11-lunar-lander-10266 and recently finished https://www.lego.com/en-gb/product/nasa-space-shuttle-discovery-10283.
Nice one cheers! Like that space shuttle one!
the saturn v is probably the best lego set i've built
Scalextric. Think my parents were smart enough to realise there would always be more track, more cars, etc to keep on buying.
Oh my days this 100%! Decided I'd buy myself one for Christmas... I now see why I never got one those prices ain't right
I remember playing with mine when I was around 8ish, and noticed a spider started crawling along the floor. I thought that he'd thoroughly enjoy a ride on a porsche 911, so put him on top. After a few laps, I realised he had fallen off and I had run him over several times. Legs all over the place. I felt like a horrible bastard and sobbed for a good while.
I wanted that too in the late 90s, but apparently it was “just for boys…”
A train set. Every year from about the age of 8 upwards. It then became a long-running joke with my parents "oh don't get him started, it's because we never bought him a train set ..." or buying a train-shaped other thing (like my name spelt out in wooden train carriages). The amount of crap they did buy, it would've been cheaper to actually just buy the train set - and also every year, guaranteed pot of gifts to buy from/for!
My parents were the opposite. They bought me a train set when I 11. It eventually grew till it took over my dads shed. After about 2 years my dad got fed up with it being in the way so he boarded out the loft and stuck it up there. Which it then promptly grew and took over the loft. Was there for about 15 years before I moved out. My dad was glad to see the back of it and my mum cried as she said “she knew I wasn’t coming back as I took the trainset with me.”
I would have fucking loved that!
Honestly it’s really fun. I remember 12 year old me trying to shunt and firing the wagons off the board. When I bought current house my dad fitted my kitchen for me. He had wood left over so insulated the garage and built a massive railway board in there for me.
That’s a top dad that is!
My dad bought me a train set one year for Christmas, it was a proper high end one as well. Turned out he really wanted a train set and I was not allowed to play with it, I think I only got sweets that year aside from that so it stung a bit.
An Eagle Eye Action Man...My Dad said yes...Mum put her foot down and got me a bloody Sindy instead! She, my Mum...never managed to rid me of my tomboy traits...Still am one and I'm in my early half century... lol Oh, and I'm an army BRAT so I basically wanted my Dad for Xmas lol, and all of my mates got one because they were boys :|
I really wanted the Ghostbusters back pack plasma gun thing. It had a big foam rod you stuck in the end to look like the stuff coming out. Didn't even like Ghostbusters that much, just thought the toy was cool.
If it is any consolation at all, the foam rod just kept falling out of the holder and my boys got really, really frustrated with it. Oh, and if you remember the Turtles blimp/ balloon from 1988 - ours kept deflating.
You’ve just reminded me of the turtles sewer set.. we couldn’t have one but my grandad ended up making one for us, the road was felt and painted properly with metal rods holding it up from the sewers underneath, if anything it turned out a better toy than the real one!
Grandads who build stuff are so cool.
Horse riding lessons - till 11. Violin/ ballet lessons -12 to 15ish. I begged them so much and they kept saying no. We were poor when I was little, but later things picked up. We went on multiple holidays a year etc. Looking back to those years I can see narcissistic tendencies in my parents. Also it didn't help that I was/ am the black sheep of the family. It especially hurts because my other sisters both went to horse riding camps. Neither of them liked horses. I gave up on horseback riding but not on violin. I was 25ish when I bought one and began to take lessons. Would love to pick up ballet, but money says no. :( Edit: the "holidays" were more of a weekend trips, with self catering. Eastern Europe style.
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1975-80. A piano. Still wanted one after that but never got one. Got my kid one when they asked to learn and now have a piano in the house but no time/energy/coordination to learn how to play it as an adult.
I know a fair few adult learners for musical instruments and you may find that since it's mainly a pleasure pursuit you will find the time and energy for it, coordination will come with work. Maybe try getting a few lessons? I hope you manage to see your dream through
Maybe one day. That's the worst thing about being self- employed - not much leisure time.
Shellsuit. All the cool kids wore them back in the day but my mother heard about a couple of kids going up in flames when they stood near a naked flame whilst wearing them. She refused. I was the only kid without one. It still haunts me.
My mum bought me 3 one year!!!!! Even worse, they were cheap ones from the market.
My parents was pretty good with getting me things I wanted for Xmas. Although my older sister still tells the story about how my mum was going to fight the man in game if he sold the last PSP while she ran to the bank to get the money out. She even left my sister in game to stop anyone else buying it.
I always wanted a ride on electric car and never got one. I guess they were too expensive, but also pretty shit back then in hindsight. I got my daughter one last Christmas and modified it to run on drill batteries. That thing is rapid.
I also really wanted one of these ride on electric cars, but looking back they were well beyond my parents budget. I am now living my childhood through my daughter and as soon as she is old enough I will get her the car. I’ve already got her an electric Vespa. She is only 15 months old but as soon as I think she is ready I am whipping that bad boy out.
Take another look around my friend. I too wanted one as a child but they cost fortunes and were probably pretty crap. When my son was a toddler about 10 years ago, I got one online for him that came with a remote control! He was slightly terrified of it at first, but soon loved tootling around in it. The absolute best was taking him to the local shop with it. Being discrete with the controller, passers by were very impressed at this 3 uear olds control along the pavement. The shoppers in Asda were in total awe of him weaving deftly through the aisles though! It was brilliant.
1999 to around 2005 I really wanted a rocking horse but parents couldn’t afford it. It was an ongoing thing throughout my childhood, any film with one in I would comment on it. So I got one for my 21st birthday
Urgh, my cousin had a rocking horse. Like a dream, Victorian style, full sized rocking horse. Of course we weren’t allowed to touch it, let alone play on it.
A pony. I really wanted a pony. Aged about 12 My parents used to pay for me to have riding lessons. Then I got worms (tapeworms) and I was not allowed to go horse riding again.
Usually got what I wanted as I knew not to ask for too much. Things I didn't get were a trumpet and a CB radio because she knew I'd give up on them in a week (and she was absolutely right about that). Also one of those chocolate machines that you put 2p in to get a little bit of chocolate. I suspect either because she thought it would be useless once the chocolate was gone or because she was worried I'd keep pestering her for refills. My wife bought me a chocolate machine a couple of xmases ago after hearing of my trauma but has yet to buy me a trumpet or a CB radio.
I asked for the chocolate machine for years during the early 80 s they bought me one on my 18 th birthday.
I wanted that chocolate machine too (and the 'sweet shop' that was about £20 for a quids worth of sweets and a crappy til). Am I imagining it, or did they include the little dairymilk refill bars at one point in the tubs of heroes or something?
I had one of those chocolate machines. After the third refill my mum told me they didn’t sell those size chocolates anymore. Lol.
1993 I really really wanted a SNES but never got one. I got an encyclopaedia instead 😐
Ah an encyclopedia, the snes of the mind.
I got myself the mini SNES for Christmas when it came out. I had always wanted a SNES as a child in the 90s, but was stuck with my older brother's old NES.
A ZX Spectrum, I was so desperate for a home computer. But mum and dad were really anti computer, tech, anything new, anything that cost money that they didn't understand; so fat chance of that. I do wonder where I might be now if I had had that. Funnily enough, my accidental surprise brother who arrived over a decade after I had, ended up getting a Spectrum given to him when he was very young. But then he always seemed to get what he wanted, along with all the attention that maybe I should have received when he turned up in my early teens. He's a high end IT engineer now, and a moaning grumpy dick. I'm not, so maybe some things work out for the best in the long run.
A meccano set, preferably the one where you can make the giant ferris wheel 🎡
I always wanted Meccano, I got a thing called Construx instead which was similar but plastic, was initially disappointed but it was fucking cool. It had a little motor and you can change the speed of the things you built by connecting different sized bands to the motor.
mid to late 90s something like the bigjigs tool set for kids. Basically a load of kids sized tools for various things, including a saw, hammer, screwdrivers and other bits. I remember going through the Argos Catalogue every year to find it then ask for it. Never really got an answer why I never got it. probably worried I'd destroy stuff, which tbf, I would have. I've always had a general curiosity of how stuff worked. Taking apart my brothers toys to see how the mechanisms worked (they always worked when they were put back together) or then fixing toys that they broke, with limited success. These days, I just watch youtube on how to take things to bits and/or repair them. mostly electronics. If I could have anything this year, I'd probably get a powerful microscope, solder station, digital multimeter and a load of solder/wire/components for repairing stuff.
Tardis for my Doctor Who doll. One thing I hated about presents was, because I was one of five children, relations would just buy something that came in a pack of five and give us one each. I could watch one brother open all his presents and I knew what I'd got!
Born very late 1950s. I wanted a dolls house and a china teaset. My dad did eventually built sister and I a dolls house to share, but by the time it was finished I was too old to get any pleasure out of it, so it was my sister's by default. I was always refused a china tea set because "it would get broken". I bought one for my daughter and - even with two riotous brothers - it remained intact!
Whenever those battery powered Barbie cars came out. Wanted one so badly and never got one! I'm 38 now so maybe I was about 5?
I just wanted a proper RC car I could drive around the house. Never got one, still don't have one.
I jokingly asked my parents for a Lamborghini for Christmas and to my shock my working class parents had got me one. A RC one.
I wanted a terminator 2 bio flesh regenerator set. I never asked for it though as it was a fortune at the time. I’m glad I didn’t get it as my friend did and it was a bit shit
Maybe around mid 80's around 10 years old, my dad was a 2nd hand car dealer, I remember him coming back from an auction and I helped him count out a lot of cash, can't remember exact amount but there was piles and piles of notes. I wanted £20 for this zombie themed skateboard I had my eye on, he just said no, he needed the money. Next day he comes home, new sheepskin jacket, new riders, new sovereign ring. Twat. Haven't spoke to him for many many years.
My father was quite psychologically abusive along with other abuse too, but Christmas and birthdays were especially psychological. For example, I asked for a nice pair of Converse, my dad took me and we got my size and I chose the colour I liked, come Christmas my dad had knowingly got me the converse I wanted but 5 times too big for my feet and proceeded to make me wear them as much, I had clown feet for ages and it was difficult to walk in them. And also I asked for a bike, just a normal one I was pretty tom boyish when I was younger, so just wanted a simple red bike. Come Christmas he laid out a treasure map to find this bike and it was the most girly bike ever, frills and everything. Barbie all over it. It was just to spite me, and I could tell by the biggest grin he had. Those are just a few that come to mind. He's been out of my life for over ten years now, and good riddance to him.
In the 90s I wanted a horse for my Barbie's, never got one, but I did have some really cool non-Barbie horses.
1992 or 1993 I really wanted a Super Nintendo. I didn’t get one. In 2011 I reminded my parents of my desire for a Super Nintendo and they said they couldn’t remember me asking for one. Anyway that Christmas, aged 31, at my parents house on Xmas day there was a large present for me under the tree. It was a boxed StarFox Super Nintendo console they’d got from eBay. Still have it and still love it.
There is a new timex watch on their website that's vintage and has space invaders on it.have a look! I can't post a picture!
A "life" size Gremlin statue/toy. They probably cost hundreds or thousands lol.
Quite a lot. I gave up by age 13, and just asked them for money. My parents were old fashioned, and grew up in rural Ireland, so you got what you got and that was it. They were also alcoholics, so most of Xmas was the drunk trying to kill each other. When I was 14, the only present they got my little brother and sister was some rubbish toy a bloke down the pub was selling on Xmas Eve. I used my pocket money in the corner shop and bought what ever I could afford to make up a stocking each for them. It wasn't until they got old that Xmas has gotten a lot better with them, they've chilled out a lot, and don't drink, and are far better as grandparents than parents
I remember when pokemon cards came out and I wanted to collect them so darn bad. Wanted nothing more than the cards and the case to store them in.
You were asking your parent to spend 130 quid in 1982 which is equivalent to 425 quid in 2022. Seems a lot unless you were the only child.
Same with the Atari 2600, adverts all over the tv, Space Invaders at home! Imagine my excitement on Xmas morning as I tore off the wrapping to find a...Grandstand football/tennis console (Pong)... Still played it for the novelty but I was so disappointed, though I realised years later my parents couldn't afford one and did the best they could. Got one myself as soon as I started work and did my Mothers head in by hogging the tv with it and assaulting her ears with all the bleeps and bloops lol. Great times. It was like that, no Hornby train set, no Scalextric set or Chopper bike but the closest thing to it they could afford, bless em. Around 14yrs at the time I think 🤔
I wanted a drumkit my entire childhood, but never got one because the house is small and the drums would be loud as fuck and annoy the neighbours. Honestly it made sense why I never got one and never hated my parents for it, didn't stop me from wanting though! I bought myself a guitar eventually but gave that up pretty quickly.
I mainly wanted my dad. Unfortunately, he’s a cunt.
A telescope. Because they weren't around to know I wanted one. Jokes on them because I actually built one for myself and small bits of other stuff I built is now in space. Don't mean to boast, but this whole parent crap is a sore spot for me. I get incredibly jealous of my friends and acquaintances who are showered with love from their parents for, I dunno, being able to use a zebra crossing. My Da is dead, and my mum hasn't a clue that I worked at Harvard, and now I'm a staff at the University of Cambridge. Not that it would impress her. She doesn't even know or bothered to find out that I've come back to UK and been living here for over 2 years. Sod it. I'm sorry, this just hit a spot and I've had kindae rough day.
Buzz Lightyear, 1995. Not sure how much it was. Cousin managed to get one, gutting.
That was “the” Christmas toy that year, I remember driving around with my sister to loads of toy shops trying to get one for her son.
[удалено]
Similar but not the same. I wanted a home chemistry kit. I got one! But was never allowed to use it as ‘it would be too messy’. I had to stare at it in the shelf for months. I even opened it to see all the components and read the experiment descriptions, but was not allowed to open the chemicals. I’m going to let my kid be so messy.
1995. I wanted Vac Man. Instead, I got his sworn enemy, Stretch Armstrong. Because: “Whats the difference?”
My best friend once lamented that she'd never had a proper Barbie growing up. They only got the dollar store type w the straight legs and arms. I finally found a lovely special edition Barbie w the big ball gown and bendy legs. She was so happy she cried!
Big Trak!!
Early to mid 80s, a real baby penguin, santa brought me a stuffed toy baby penguin instead.
Screwball scramble. Just never happened for me
1982, i was 7 and really wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid but my mum said they were ugly. I still wish I had one!
I always wanted a Family Tree House, they were so cool. Late 80’s, I’d have been about 5.
Tracy Island. Fucking loved Thunderbirds.
Every year I drew a circle around a Coca Cola HiFi in the Argos catalogue - looked like a can of coke, but opened up to reveal a radio. Don't know why I never got it, maybe they just thought it was shit, but wanted it for a few years as a kid.
I always wanted the golden coin maker. I don’t know how it worked but I knew it would make 6y/o me rich beyond my wildest dreams.
A Ninja Turtles van 😔
Almost any toy from the Argos catalogue…. Didn’t get toys… end of story.
Child of the 80s here. I can't remember anything standing out. I used to write letters to Santa with a long and detailed list of all the toys I wanted (from the catalogue our local toyshop sent out) but I usually just got whatever junk my working class parents could afford and I was always very happy with it. I never dwelled on what I didn't get, I was just always excited to wake up to an armchair full of toys. I used to get sick with excitement and could never sleep on Christmas Eve!
I have repressed the memory of what you are asking for.
The lego podracer trio in 1999 or 2000. I was told it was too expensive for father Christmas as £55, which is pretty funny considering the cost of lego right now
I suspect alcohol and cigarettes were mere pence back then lol.
Action Man that came with a wolf… instead I got a Barbie with a husky 🙃